I am seeing this on FoxNEWS and just started to wonder...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,502785,00.html
Does FLWG ever interoperate with USCG for looking at the coast lines for missing craft as a force multiplier? How does that work? Ever?
My guess is the USCG have enough resource in the St Pete area...they have a large air station there with fixed and rotor aircraft.
http://www.uscg.mil/d7/airstaClearwater/
The USCG requires twin engine aircraft from the USCG Aux if they fly more then gliding distance from land. That would probably apply to CAP as well.
I saw that station while I was down in Pinellas County last month. Big place.
unless I am mistaken CAF and the Air Force recently canceled the MOU between CAP and the CG Aux. Can anyone confirm
The 2001 MOU is still on the CAP web page at http://members.gocivilairpatrol.com/cap_national_hq/general_counsel/national_mous.cfm and there isn't any note about it being cancelled or lapsed (like there is for the Red Cross MOU).
Fox News just reported that the CG has found the boat. :clap: No word on survivors.
Boat is overturned, one survivor is clinging to it. Sounds bad.
CNN update here:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/02/florida.missing.boaters/index.html
They've found one of the 4, 40 miles southwest of Clearwater. He was apparently in the water since Saturday - fortunately the water is 60 degrees.
Quote from: JoeTomasone on March 02, 2009, 08:15:16 PM
fortunately the water is 60 degrees.
Just means that you won't die quite as fast - 60 is more than cold enough to get you. That guy was extremely lucky.
Water temp was reported as 62. However the air temp after the cold front went through in the Tampa Bay area was in low 40's-high 30's.
According to a report I heard, the three that were lost just gave up - took off their life jackets and floated away. It could have been a reaction to hyperthermia, or after waiting for two days and not seeing land, they thought it was hopless and decided to end it. Two of these guys were pro athletes and probably didn't have a great deal of body fat. They may not have had a great deal of energy reserves.
Cold water, even in the 60s, can play with your mind. In pre-SCUBA we had a 60 degree pool - the heat would just seep out of your body and you couldn't always think straight after 3 or 4 hours of swimming laps, bobbing, or crossovers.
This is very sad. Too bad they weren't spotted sooner. Kudos to the USCG for finding a very small needle in a very large haystack.